Interview with Alalia Mack, July 27, 2006

Partial Transcript: This is an oral history interview with Mrs. Alalia Mack for the University of Kentucky African American Alumni Experience.

Segment Synopsis: Alalia Mack is introduced. She talks about her family background and childhood in Tampa, Florida. She talks about her parents' occupations.

Keywords: Family roots; Fathers; Grandparents; Mothers; Occupations; Parents; Siblings; Single mothers; Socioeconomic status; Working

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Marriage.; Childhood; Family histories.; Family--history; Tampa (Fla.)

Partial Transcript: Where did you go to elementary, junior high, and high school?

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about her education in segregated schools in Tampa, Florida. She talks about her favorite subjects and teachers, and talks about the relationships between Black teachers and their students. She talks about the extracurricular activities she participated in.

Keywords: Academics; Black teachers; Community; Dance; Expectations; Extracurricular activities; Favorite subjects; Favorite teachers; Grades; Integration; Interaction; Middleton High School; Relationships; Segregated schools; Spelling bees; White friends; YMCA

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Segregation in education.; Teachers; Teaching; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: Did you feel that your family--that your mom valued education?

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about her family valuing education. She talks about the churches her family attended, and what they did for entertainment.

Keywords: Aunts; Board games; Church choirs; Close-knit; Entertainment; Family values; Mothers; Playing; Siblings; Social role; The South

Subjects: African American churches; African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social life and customs.

Partial Transcript: Who made the decision that you were going to college?

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about why she wanted to get a college education, and discusses why she chose to attend Tuskegee Institute. She talks about the few social activities she participated in.

Keywords: Dances; Decisions; Dormitories; Extracurricular activities; Military draft; Mothers; Nursing program; Pep squad; Scholarships; Siblings; Undergraduate degree; Vietnam War; Working

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; College majors; College students, Black; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Minorities in higher education; Tuskegee Institute

Partial Transcript: So you, um, majored in nursing at Tuskegee.

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about her job after graduation, and moving to Cincinnati. She talks about her three children who have all earned their master's degrees.

Keywords: Children; Cincinnati (Ohio); Doctorate; Fiance; Graduation; Married; Masters degrees; PhD; Tampa (Fla.); Working

Subjects: African American college graduates; African American families; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Marriage.; Universities and colleges--Graduate work.

Partial Transcript: So you came to Cincinnati.

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about choosing to attend UK over the University of Cincinnati because UC had a worse reputation for being prejudiced. She talks about being apprehensive about attending UK because of its negative reputation within the Black community, and says she commuted from Cincinnati to Lexington every day so she would not have to stay there. She says she was unaware that she was one of the first African Americans in the nursing master's degree program.

Keywords: Apprehensive; Awareness; Black community; Cincinnati (Ohio); Classmates; Clinicals; Commuters; Commuting; Instructors; Kentucky; Prejudice; Reputations; Secretaries; Summer courses; University of Cincinnati

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College environment; College integration; College students, Black; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; College teachers.; Discrimination in higher education; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Racism--Kentucky--Lexington; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Nursing; University towns

Partial Transcript: I, I do have to say though that, um, some of the instructors at that time, you know, they, they were very open and really did seem to be interested in th--me as a student learning and did not let the Black part bother them.

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about facing prejudice and discrimination during her time at UK. She talks about professors who ignored her, working harder for the same (or worse) grades as her white peers, and being excluded by her white classmates. She says she almost never saw any other African American students on campus, and only had one Black professor.

Keywords: Atmosphere; Attitudes; Bethesda School of Nursing; Black faculty members; Black professors; Commuters; Commuting; Curriculum; Demographics; Exclusion; Extracurricular activities; Goals; Grades; Ignored; Instructors; Interaction; Professors; Standards; Support systems; Transition; Working harder

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College environment; College integration; College students, Black; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; College teachers, Black; College teachers.; College teaching.; Discrimination in higher education; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Racism--Kentucky--Lexington; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Nursing

Partial Transcript: Did you go through an orientation program before you came to the nursing program?

Segment Synopsis: Mack says she did not feel welcome at UK. She talks about how UK could make African American students feel more welcome by offering full scholarships, making a commitment to increasing graduation rates, and providing better access to resources and opportunities for socializing.

Keywords: Black athletes; College life; College student orientation.; Commitments; Deweese Street; First day; Graduation rates; Problems; Resources; Retention rates; Scholarships; Secretaries; Socialization; Welcome

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College athletes; College costs.; College environment; College integration; College students, Black; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination in higher education; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Racism--Kentucky--Lexington; Universities and colleges--Employees

Partial Transcript: What was your most memorable moment, a positive experience, that happened at the University of Kentucky?

Segment Synopsis: Mack says she did not attend her graduation ceremony because she did not feel that anyone in the program had been supportive during her time there. She talks about her worst moment being when she realized no one in the program cared about whether she succeeded. She talks about her relationship with the one African American instructor in the program.

Keywords: Attitudes; Black instructors; Black professors; Careful; Caring; Commencement ceremonies; Graduation; Memorable moments; References; Support; Worst moments

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College environment; College integration; College students, Black; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; College teachers, Black; College teachers.; Discrimination in higher education; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Racism--Kentucky--Lexington; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Nursing

Partial Transcript: Do you feel like you received a quality education from the University of Kentucky?

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about the quality of education she received at UK and why the department should make an effort to be a highly ranked school. She talks about what she would change about her time at UK, stating that she would stand up for herself against a discriminatory professor. She talks about why she believes people should become doctors instead of nurses.

[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Attitudes; Basketball; Children; Concentrations; Doctors; Grades; Master's program; Nurses; Nursing; Professors; Quality of education; Recommendations; Tuskegee Institute

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College environment; College integration; College students, Black; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; College teachers.; College teaching.; Discrimination in higher education; Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations.; Minorities in higher education; Race discrimination.; Racism--Kentucky--Lexington; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Ratings and rankings.; University of Kentucky. College of Nursing

Partial Transcript: So once you graduated with your masters did you, um--I know you said you've done some teaching so what other things have you done since you graduated with your masters?

Segment Synopsis: Mack talks about why she did not teach after receiving her master's degree and instead became a nurse at the VA hospital. She talks about her husband, children, and grandchild. She briefly talks more about the experience for African American students at UK. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Children; Effort; Grandchildren; Husbands; Married; Masters degrees; Quality of education; Staff nurses; VA hospitals; Veterans Administration hospitals

Subjects: African American college graduates; African American college students--Social conditions; African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Employment.; Cincinnati (Ohio); College environment; College students, Black; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teaching.; Minorities in higher education; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky